Make Ahead and Freeze Turkey Meatballs
These make ahead and freeze turkey meatballs are perfect for meal prep Sunday! In addition to being delicious with spaghetti and sauce, they are also fun to serve as appetizers or as an after school snack. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats cerified gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup water
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 pounds ground turkey or chicken
- ¾ cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped or use 2 teaspoons dried herbs such as oregano or Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees ℉ (convection if you have it). Line 3 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper. Grease each a teaspoon of olive oil (1 T total).
- In a large bowl, combine oats and water. Let sit.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for about 3 minutes, add the garlic and saute for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside. Let cool slightly.
- To the large bowl with the oat-water mixture, add the ground turkey, fresh herbs, onion and garlic mixture, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Use a wooden spoon to combine, then form into meatballs using your hands or a mini ice cream scooper. Place them on the greased baking sheets. It helps to have wet hands during this process to prevent them from sticking. Recipe makes about 60 medium meatballs; or make more smaller meatballs or fewer larger ones.
- Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes for small meatballs, 15 minutes for medium meatballs, and 20 minutes for large meatballs. Shake the pan every 8 minutes or so to make sure they brown evenly. You can bake them all at once if you have a convection oven, otherwise in separate batches.
- Let cool and then freeze in resealable plastic bags or large glass freezer-safe storage containers.
Notes
Flavor Boosters:
- Vary the fresh or dried herbs
- Add half a cup of grated Parmesan
- Use low sodium chicken stock instead of water